Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-02-10
A PAYMASTER'S ADVENTURE.
Maine Farmer.

wished TO pass the winter mOnt6; Du'
at the end of the week my hopes were all
nipped in the bud by the following mis-
sivs:
MAJoR-You will proceed at once tc
Fort Stetson; thence with all possible dis
patch TO Fort Carson; and thence to Fort
Kearney; at which posts you will pay of
the enrolled men and officers, and also
settle all duly authentical bills against
the Office on account of provisions, for
age, camp and garrison stores, etc.
1t is particularly requested that you
will be careful and exact in your return
the of estimates for the coming winter
months.
Captain Goodwin will detail for you
such escort as you may require.
I have the honor to be, ETC.,
G.. p. BOWMAN, ID. 2. M. @.
Major and Paymaster, U. s. A.
To G. S. CooHRANE.
This did not reach me by the hands of
Captain Goodwin, however, whom
should have been happy to meet but by
the hands of Sergeant James ConnOver,
who came with six men under his COM
mand, to escort me if L deemed such es-
cort sufficient.
After reading the letter, I raised my
eyes and met the gaze of the sergeant,
who stood, with his cap in his hand, on
the opposite side of the small table. He
started when i looked up, and thought
he was ashamed of having been caught
staring at me so fxedly. But the flush
quickly loft his face, and he inclined his
head another way.
He was a man of medium size, very
heavily built and evidently very muscu-
lar. In short, he was made for fighter,
and one of those valuable fighters who
possess stubborn will and logged resOlu-
tion, rather than hot impetus pugna-
city.
He was not a man to be ever in fer
ment; but man, who when fairly ARGUS
cd, is to be feared. He was not far from
five and forty years of age and the
stripes upon his forearm showed that he
had served four terms of enlistment pre-
vious to the present.
swell, sergeant" said as pleasantly as
possible, captain Goodwin gives such an
accounnt of you that feel thankful that
I am to have your company, and l trust
you will have no reason to complain of
me-"
went out with tho sergeant and found
the six men on the piazza standing at
under arms. They were really fine look
ing fellows, and and answered respective
ly to the names: Smith, Adams, Mealy,
Oesau, Van Writ and Connolly. Smith
was Yankee, Adams was an Englisbman,
and had been in the Queens service as
dragoon; Mealy and Connolly were Irish
men, Oesau was Dutchman, and Van
Writ was German. The Squad had
come with good horses, SO the only prep
arations I had to make was to get my
own horse ready and draw my money.
My estimates had been to the amount
of $35, 900, and this I must take in gold.
I went to the bank with the sergeant and
three of the men and got the money,
which took away in four small canvas
bags weighing about forty pounds each !;
but at the hotel packed the gold in a
sort of pannier saddle, continuance
which I had invented myself, and in
which / could so pack anywhere from one
to four hundred pounds of gold that it
would neither sway nor jingle.
We were passing over narrow bridge.
just on the outskirts of Jefferson when
We met two men and two boys driving be-
fore them herd of cattle. I had met
and gone clear of the herd without diff
Guilty, and was thinking how I would like
10 have one of the father builocks along
with me, when an exclamation of anger
arrested my attention, and on turning in
my saddle discovered one of the oxen
q wild, frolicsome thing-had attacked
the sergeant's horse. 1t had been quick
ly done-a frisk--a leap-a lunge of the
great curvipg horns at the horses side
She roaring of the latter, and the conse-
quent unseating of the sergeant.
When Connover had regained his feet,
the frolicsome bullock was away from his
reach; but not SO the innocent drovers.
The two men were near together and di-
recsly by his side as he grasped his sword
hilt and turned upon them. / did not
think Connover would harm them; but
they were terribly frightened, neverthe-
less; and the younger of the two, who
WAS the first to speak an intelligent word
(the sergeant had uttered one or two
oaths).
Excuse me my good friend. I am
sorry. truly sorry, for this mishap; but
assuse you it was ne fault of ours"
A few seconds he glared into the face of
the man who had spoken to him, and
then, prefacing his remark with an oath
of condemnation, he exclaimed:
"--l If ye've God, ye'd better thank
Him that Jena ConnOver don't owe ye
much of a grudge"
The man muttered something and pass
ed on to attend to his cattle, while the
sergeant placed his foot in the stirrup
and as he did so he looked at me.
Our eyes met and l saw him changs
oc!or and start, as though he had done
some guilty thing in thus looking into the
face of his superior officer. 1 smiled
and nodded, and in pleasant way re-
marked:
ssAll's well that ends well, sergeant"
He looked at me as though the propo
sltion might be disputed, but presently
with a forced emile he returned:
GAY, ay-that's sol" And the reply wal
emphatic, as though his decision were
matter of moment.
rode on, the picture of Connoveri
passage with the droyer occupying m.
mind.